Overview
MassDOT's contractor is currently picking up paint chips, which contain lead, that have fallen from the Tobin Bridge and may be in residents' yards. The contractor is working with residents and businesses to gain access to areas where paint chips may have dropped so that they can be removed. The paint chips are being vacuumed up and disposed of off-site.
The paint chips from the Tobin are known to contain lead, which can cause serious health issues in children. Do not handle or ingest any paint chips and do not allow children to play with paint chips.
Regular inspections and spot removal are continuing to take place. A shielding and netting system is in the process of being installed to help contain any additional paint chips that may fall from the bridge.
The impact on the environment is being monitored by officials. The paint chips from the bridge do not impact Chelsea's drinking water supply.
A section of the Tobin Bridge in Chelsea encased in a netting system to catch paint chips.
Why the paint chips are falling
The Tobin bridge is over 75 years old and has been painted over numerous times and that old paint has become brittle. The winter weather caused the paint to flake off and fall to the ground near the bridge.
It was common for all steel structures in the United States – bridges, radio towers, etc. – to be painted with lead-based paint for decades. This is not unique to the Tobin Bridge – many steel structures in the United States and Massachusetts still have lead-based paint. Lead paint was suspended in the U.S. for residential use in 1978 but was allowed for commercial and industrial use. Lead-based paint for most steel structures, including bridges, was ended in the United States and Massachusetts in 1992.
How to stay safe
Do not pick up the paint chips yourself. The paint chips need to be picked up and disposed of properly because they contain lead, which harms the developing brains of young children.
Please allow MassDOT’s contractors to pick up all of the paint chips and point out any areas of concern to them. Please do not handle or ingest any paint chips and do not allow children to play with paint chips. For more information about the pickup, please call our hotline at 857-492-0221.
Get your young children tested for lead at their next well-child visit or sooner if you are concerned about lead exposure. For health and safety information, visit the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program website or call 1-800-532-9571.